Textile machine



E. J. ABBOTT TEXTILE MACHINE July 3, 1934.

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1931 July 3, 1934. BQT 1,964,714

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TEXTILE MACHINE July 3, "1934.

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E.-J. ABBOTT TEXTILE MACHINE July 3, 1934.

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Patented July 3, 1934 1,964,714 TEXTILE MACHINE Edward J. Abbott,Wilton, Abbott Machine Company,

N. H., assignor to Wilton, N. H., a corporation of New HampshireApplication June 4, 1931, Serial No. 542,011

8 Claims.

This invention relates to textile machines of the kind having aplurality of strand-manipulating devices adapted to be moved in aprocession in relation to the machine, typically in a circulatory pathso as successively to pass an operator or automatic tending devices.Instances of such machines are disclosed in my Patent No. 1,609,639; inthe patent to Edward J. and W. G. Abbott, No. 1,700,425;and in mycopending applications Serial Nos. 476,776 and 508,868, the individualstrand-manipulating devices being capable for example of operating on atextile strand to wind, unwind, twist, spin, or elongate by drafting. Myinvention is particularly concerned with improving the mechanism bywhich such machines are driven and controlled, and has for some of itsobjects to provide improved mechanism for advancing thestrand-manipulating devices; to provide improved means for concomitantlyadvancing'these devices and causing their operation; to provide forvarying the rate of advance with respect to the rate of operation of theseveral devices; and to provide means for causing the devices to passthe operator or attendant (or automatic tending devices) at varyingspeeds consistent with the efficient performance of necessary tendingoperations.

Other objects of invention, and features of novelty and advantage willbe apparent from this specification and its accompanying drawingswherein specific instances of my invention are shown by way of exampleonly.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine according to the presentinvention, this view omitting all but one of the numerous carriers ofstrandmanipulating devices with which the machine is usually provided;

Fig. la is a vertical section on line 1a--1a of Fig. 1;

Fig. lb is a vertical section on the line 1b1b of Fig. 1, showing afragment of one of the traveling strand-manipulating devices;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of driving connections at the left endof the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, this viewcorresponding in point of view to Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section corresponding to Fig. 3, but on a smallerscale, and showing a modification of certain parts of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram of electrical connections of parts shown inFig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing an arrangement of drive roll,winding package and traverse cam which may be employed to prevent theoccurrence of ribbon wind" in machines of this kind.

The machine illustrated herewith as exemplifyno ing the presentinvention includes in common with the machines of the above patents andapplications, a guideway formed of upper and lower rails 4 and 5 anddefining an endless path of travel for a large number of travelingstrando5 manipulating carrier units 10 which move in a procession alongopposite straight and curved portions thereof. In Fig. 1, only one ofthese strand-manipulating carrier units 10 is indicated, but it will beunderstood that the machine will (0 usually have as many of these unitsas can conveniently be disposed on the above-described guideway. Astrand-manipulating carrier unit 10 may, as disclosed in the abovepatents and applications include a unit frame consisting mainly of avertical plate bridging the distance between the upper and lower rails 4and 5, and an upper head portion fast on the. plate 60, this unit framecarrying any suitable rollers for holding the unit on the rails 4 and 5and for facilitating its travel thereon.

The strand-manipulating devices of the traveling-carrier units may besuch as are competent to perform, for example, a winding, or unwinding,or drafting, or twisting, or spinningoperation on strand material ;-onthe traveling unit 10 illustrated herewith, a strand S is shown as beingunwound from a bobbin B and rewound in overlapped quick-traverse layersof reversed spiral windings laid in place on a rotatably driven headlesspackage W, by a reciprocating traverse eye 106, as disclosed in theabove patents and applications. While any desired form of connectionsmay be employed for rotating the winding package W, the present machineemploys for this purpose a pair of rotary rolls extending along the twoopposite straight portions of the guideway, above the upper rail 4; oneof these rotary rolls is shown at 50 (Fig. 1) mounted in suitablebearings 52 and '53. The winding package W, on any suitable coretherefor, may be rotatably mounted on a spindle 71, so positioned by apivoted arm 72 as to allow the package to rest upon and be drivensuccessively by the rotating rolls 50 and 51 as the traveling unit movesaround the guideway.

As disclosed in the above Patent No. 1,700,425 and in the above twoapplications, traversing of the winding strand may be effected by atraverse guide or eye 106 carried by a slider 101 reciproca- 110 ble ona rod or bar 100 which is supported at its ends by the head portion ofthe carrier unit (Fig. 1b). A traverse cam '70 is rotatably mounted inthe head in position for tires '70 (Fig. 6) at its ends to contact withand be driven by the drive rolls 50 or 51 and for its groove '70"- tooperate a follower 105 (Fig. 16) connected to the slider 101, thus tooperate the traverse eye 106.

Motion of the several strand-manipulating carrier units along theguideway is induced by a suitable endless band approximately parallelingthe guideway; preferably such endless band is a chain 30, suitablyconnected to each traveling unit and running on sprocket wheels 31 and32 which lie at opposite ends of the machine. The forms of connectinglink illustrated in the above patents and applications may be employedto connect each traveling unit to the chain 30.

The framework of the guideway, which preferably serves also to supportthe driving connections of the machine may consist for example of aplurality of cross members 1 which extend from side'to side of themachine at suitable intervals (only two of these being illustrated), anda pair of longitudinally extending end sections 2 and 3 which abutagainst and are affixed to the middle portions of the endmost crossmembers 1.

Preferably as many as possible of the driving connections both for thetraveling motion of the carrier units and for the strand-manipulating(e. g., winding) operations, are concentrated at one end of the machineat which an operator may be stationed-this being the left-hand end inFig. 1. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the motive power of the machineis supplied by an electric motor '75 affixed to the cross member 1.Through a belt '16 and a pulley '77 this motor drives a cross shaft '78turning in any suitable bearings on the top of the endmost crossmember 1. The rotary drive rolls 50 and 51 are each connected at theirbearings 52 to this cross shaft 78 by bevel gearing '78 contained withina gear casing 78 the'construction described in my application, SerialNo. 476,776 being especially suitable for this purpose. Any suitableswitch, such as is diagrammatically indicated at 149 (Fig. 1) maycontrol the motor '75 and thus stop or start the rotary drive rolls 50and 51 and the winding operations on all of the carrier units. The motor'75 is preferably operated at such a speed that the rotary drive rolls50 and 51 rotate at for example 1500 R. P. M.

The sprocket wheel 31, which in the present instance acts to drive thechain 30, is preferably mounted to turn freely on a pin 34 which extendsvertically from a bracket 35 (Figs. 1 and 2). The end frame member 2(Fig. 1) is in the form of a web with marginal upper flanges 2. Theseupper flanges are enlarged laterally to form a horizontal platform 2which constitutes a stable support to which the bracket 35 is suitablyfastened, as by bolts '79 (Fig. 3).

It is to be noted that the illustrated machine does not rely upon avertical power shaft fast to the sprocket wheel for driving the wheelfrom its center, as in the case of the machine illustrated in my PatentNo. 1,609,639; on the contrary the present machine is characterized bythe application of driving force to the sprocket wheel 31 near itsperiphery, thus providing a stronger and more compact construction ofdriving parts. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the sprocket wheel 31 isprovided on its rim 31 with a set of internal gear teeth 39, these teethpreferably being located, as shown, closely adjacent to the horizontalplane occupied by the chain 30 and the sprocket teeth engaged thereby. Apinion 80 keyed on a short vertical shaft 81, is arranged to intermeshwith and apply driving force to these internal gear teeth 39.Advantageously the shaft 81 is mounted in anti-friction bearings 82 and83 which are respectively held in a detachable cover 85 and a bottom 86of a gear box 8'7. This gear box 87, containing the pinion 80 and shaft81, is preferably bolted to the horizontal platform 2 as by bolts 89,which preferably pass through suitable slots 91 in this platform, sothat a fine degree of adjustability may be secured between the pinion 80and the gear teeth 39 on the sprocket wheel. The mounting of the bracket35 and the gear box 8'7 on the common surface of the platform 2 providesfor accurate alignment of the interfitting gear and pinion, and providesa compact structure wherein the strains incident to driving areminimized and localized.

The gear box 8'7 is preferably arranged also to contain suitable speedreduction gearing, herein shown as including a worm wheel 95, keyed onshaft 81, and a worm 96 intermeshing with this worm wheel, (Fig. 2). Theworm 96 is keyed on a horizontal shaft 9'7, which preferably turns inanti-friction bearings 200 and 201 held in opposite recesses 200 and 201of the gear box 8'7. A reduced portion 9'7 of the shaft 9'7 preferablyextends from the gear box, and the gear box is closed by suitable caps203 and 204,-cap 204 preferably serving to retain any suitable packing205 about the reduced portion 9'7 of the shaft.

The outer portion 97 of the shaft 9'7 preferably serves to receivetorque for driving the speed reduction gearing and sprocket wheel 31. Asshown in Fig. 2, two belt pulleys 107 and 108 are mounted to rotate onthis shaft, pulley 107 being freely rotatable with relation to the shaftand serving as an idler pulley. Pulley 108 is yieldingly pressed againsta small shoulder 110 on the shaft, by means of a spring 109 which turnswith the shaft; this pulley 108 is the driving pulley and transmits itsdriving torque by virtue of its frictional engagement with the spring109. Together with spring 109, the pulley 108 constitutes a slip clutch,effective to permit slippage of the driving connections in the event ofobstruction to the progression of any of the carrier units of themachine, thus to avoid breakage.

In the form of device of Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the live pulley 108 isrotated by a belt 111 driven by a cone pulley 112 keyed to and slidableon the cross-shaft '78. Thus, in this form of the device, the motor '75produces the traveling motion of the carrier units as well as operatesthe drive rolls 50 and 51 which effect the winding motion on each of thetraveling units.

The machine preferable includes means for arresting the travel of thecarrier units without stopping the winding or other strand-manipulatingoperation, for example to permit the operator to give special attentionto the strand of one particular carrier. One preferred form of suchmeans comprises a belt shifter which includes a lever arm 120 having atits lower end a hub 121 mounted on a pivot122 (Fig. 1) and having at itsupper end a pair of pins 124 and 124' which extend to either side of theupper run of the belt 111, (Figs. 1a and 2) A revolvable rod 126 mountedin a bearing 127 on the end frame member 2 is loosely connected to thehub 121 to turn the latter and the belt shifter lever arm. A treadle129, fast on the outer end of rod 126 may then be tilted in eitherdirection by the operator to shift the belt 111 from the idler pulley107 to the driving pulley 108 or vice versa.

In case the operator of the machine encounters a passing carrier unitwhich requires more attention than most, (for example one in which atangled or otherwise defective yarn requires attention) she can stop theprogress of the carrier units, perform the operation and then cause theunits to resume their normal rate of travel. For economical operation,this mode of procedure necessitates attuning the speed of the carrierunits to the rate at which the operator can tie up all but the mostdiflicult bobbins.

However, by providing means for varying the speed of travel of thecarrier units, it is possible to increase materially the average speedof travel, and hence the number of units which can be tended by a givenoperator or used on the same machine.

The modified form of device of Figs. 4 and 5 illustrates the provisionof such means, the same reference characters being used to designateparts of this device as in describing the previous arrangement.Referring to Fig. 4, wherein only the driving connections for advancingthe carrier units are shown, (other parts being omitted for clarity ofillustration) the pulley 108 is driven through a belt 76 from a motor 75which is separate from the previously described motor 75 employed todrive the cross-shaft 78. Motor 75 may conveniently be mounted on astructural member 150 which is suitably bolted to two opposite parts ofthe web constituting the end frame member 2. This motor 75 is in thisinstance preferably a variable speed motor competent to drive the pulley108 and the other previously de scribed connections including thesprocket wheel 31 and chain 30 at difierent rates of speed consistentwith various rapid, slow or medium speeds of performance of thereplenishing operations required by the traveling units. For varying thespeed of the motor 75 (and hence of the strandmanipulating units), theelectrical connections to the motor 75 are shown as including a rheostat151 of conventional form, (Figs. 4 and 5). The contact arm 152 of therheostat is preferably urged toward either the off or full on positionby a suitable spring 153, and a suitable treadle 154 is preferablyoperatively associated with this contact arm, for manual actuationthereof by the operator.

The electrical connections to the motor 75 and rheostat 151 preferablylead to. and are controlled by, the main switch 149 which controls theother motor 75. Thus by actuation of the main switch 149, the wholemachine may be de-energized. By

actuating rheostat 151 (which acts as a switch when the contact arm 152is in its off position) the movement of the traveling units may bestopped, begun again, or changed almost instantly to any desired speedwithin the range of the motor 75, without stopping thestrand-manipulating operation on the various units. As an instance ofone of the ways in which these features are useful, the operator of themachine may cause the carrier units to pass her at a rapid rateconsistent with the performance of her usual operations but at which itwould be impossible for her to repair an occasionally badly tangledsupply yarn. When a carrier having such a yarn reaches the operator shecan decrease the speed of travel of the units sufliciently to providetime enough for her to give this yarn the necessary attention; after therepair has been effected, the

operator can cause the units to resume their higher rate of travel. Bythis procedure the average rate of travel of the units, and hence thenumber of units which can be included in one machine may be materiallyincreased.

The means whereby progress of the carrier units may be retarded withoutnecessarily causing complete stoppage is distinctly useful inconjunction with any means acting as a consequence of the carrierstravel to prevent ribbon wind. By ribbon wind" I mean the coincidence inradial overlying relation of, successive like spiral layers of thewinding, such as would ordinarily occur at various diameters of thewinding package when a surface-driven winding package is traversed by atraverse mechanism operating at a constant speed.

It is contemplated that devices for preventing such ribbon wind will ingeneral operate by varying the relation between thespeed of the traversedevice of each carrier unit and the speed of winding on thecorresponding package in such a way that successive like spiral woundlayers will not exactly coincide radially of the package. Mycopendingapplication, Serial No. 476,776 1 0 claims and discloses by way ofexample a preferred construction utilizing the traveling motion of thecarrier unitstoaccomplish this end. Referring to Big. 6 of theaccompanying drawings, wherein this preferred construction isillustrated, the traverse cam 70 which actuates the traverse eye orguide 106 carries at its opposite ends tires 70 which contact witheither of the drive rolls 50 or 51 (depending on the position of thecarrier unit). The traverse mechanism of each carrier unit is thusdriven as the carrier travels, while the winding package W issimultaneously driven by contact with the same drive roll 50 or 51. Toprovide the above-described variation in the ratio of winding andtraversing speeds, the drive rolls 115 50 and 51 are each formed withnodes M and N of maximum and minimum diameter respectively spaced apartintegral multiples d of the distance between the two tires 70 of the camroll. These nodes are illustrated on an exaggerated 120 scale in Fig. 6.The effect of the traveling cam tires 70 passing over the nodes ofmaximum and minimum diameter on the rolls 50 and 51 is to vary the ratioof the winding speed to the traverse speed sufiiciently to prevent thephenomena of 125 ribbon wind. Obviously if, for example, in repairing atangled yarn, the travel of the can'ier units is halted, such variationof speeds will not take place, the probabilities being that one or moreof the several winding masses will attain a 13() diameter at which thephenomenon of ribbon wind can occur. However, by the utilization 'of avariable. speed drive for the traveling carrier units such as describedabove, the speed of travel of the units may be temporarily reducedsuifi- 135 ciently to permit any replenishment operation without suchcomplete stoppage of travel as would permit of the occurrence of ribbonwind".

It should'be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and 140 that this invention includes allmodifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

l. A textile machine having therein a plurality 3 of travelingstrand-manipulating, units, a guideway defining a path of circulationfor said units, a framework for said guideway, said framework includinga vertically disposed end frame member, a sprocket wheel and an endlesschain running thereon for advancing the strand-manipulating units alongsaid guideway, a bracket mounted on said end frame member, said bracketincluding a pivotal support for the sprocket wheel, gear teeth on thesprocket wheel, speed reduction gearing and a pinion driven thereby andadapted to engage the gear teeth of the sprocket wheel, a gear boxincluding bearings for retaining said speed reduction gearing, said gearbox and the bracket which supports the sprocket wheel being mounted on acommon surface on said end frame member whereby the sprocket wheel andits associated pinion may be suitably aligned.

2. A textile mac me having therein a plurality of movablestrand-manipulating devices adapted to wind textile strands, means formoving the said devices in a predetermined path, means for causing saiddevices to operate at various parts of said path, and means for varyingthe speed at which said devices move in said path.

3. A textile machine having therein means for moving awinding strandpackage in a predetermined path, means for winding a strand on thepackage during such motion, and means for varying the speed of movementof the package in the path independently of the speed of windingthereon.

4. A textile machine having therein a plurality of traveling carriers ofwinding and unwinding strand masses, means including a motor for movingsaid carriers in a predetermined path, winding means acting to wind thestrands from the unwinding strand masses onto the winding strand masseswhile said carriers are in various positions in said path, and means forcontrolling the progress of said carriers in said path withoutinterruption to the normal operation of sad winding means, saidcontrolling means including a device for stopping and starting the saidmotor.

5. A textile machine having therein a plurality of traveling carriers ofwinding and unwinding strand masses, means including a motor for movingsaid carriers in a predetermined path, winding means acting to wind thestrands from the unwinding strand masses onto the winding strand masseswhile said carriers are in various positions in said path, and means forcontrolling the progress of said carriers in said path withoutinterruption to the normal operation of said winding means, saidcontrolling means including means for altering the speed of said motor.

6. A textile machine having therein means for moving a plurality ofstrand packages in procession in a predetermined path, means etfectiveto wind strands on the packages while the packages occupy variouspositions in said path, and means for varying the rate at which thepackages progress in said path.

7. A winding machine having therein means for causing a winding strandpackage to travel in a predetermined path in relation to the machine,means for winding strand on the package during such motion, a traversingdevice acting to distribute the strand in overlapped layers of reversedspiral windings on the package, means acting as a consequence of thetraveling motion of the package in said path to prevent the occurrenceof ribbon wind on the package, and means for varying the speed of travelof the package in said path.

8. A winding machine having therein means for causing a winding strandpackage to travel in a predetermined path in relation to the machine,means for winding strand on the package during such motion, a traversingdevice acting to distribute the strand in overlapped layers of reversedspiral windings on the package, means acting to vary the ratio betweenthe speed of winding and the speed of traversing of the strandcontinually during progress of the package along its path while winding,and means for varying the rate of travel of the package withoutcompletely stopping such travel.

EDWARD J. ABBOTT.

